A 21-year-old man has been charged with a hate crime, arson, and other offenses after allegedly setting a cross on fire in a Chicago park, according to police.
Merlin Lu confessed to a TV station that he was responsible for the cross burning in Grant Park on June 9. He stated, however, that his actions were a protest against President Donald Trump, not an attempt to use the cross as a symbol of hate and intimidation against Black people.
Lu faces four felony charges and four misdemeanors, including hate crime charges and burning a cross to intimidate, as per a police statement released Wednesday night.
“I understand why it was interpreted that way, and I apologize for that, but no, the intent was not there,” Lu told WMAQ-TV before his arrest.
As of Thursday, it was unclear if Lu had legal representation. He was expected to appear in court for a detention hearing.
Lu acknowledged being aware of the cross’s historical significance but said he did not fully understand how racially charged his actions might appear. He maintained, “My protest has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with gender.”
He further explained that his protest was against the “ruling class” and Christian nationalists backing Trump.
A large, multicolored glass fiber heart with the word “resilient” now occupies the spot in the park where the cross was burned.
According to Lu’s LinkedIn profile, he has pursued college studies in Indiana and Chicago, focusing on chemistry.
